Loose-leaf binder.



J. C. DAWSON.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION HLBD AUG.11, 1909.

950,61 3. Patented Mar. 1. 1910.

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2z ,Mw 4344 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. DAWSON, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SIEBER 8cTRUSSELL MANUFACTURING CO., A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

Application filed August 11. 1909. Serial No. 512,380.

'1"0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES C. DawsoN, a citizen of the United States, andresident ot lVebster Groves, county ot' St. Louis, and State otMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification, and which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to the type of loose leaf binders which comprisesa pair of compression plates, filing posts or bars on which the leavesare impaled, and means 'for moving the plates toward and away from eachother, the invention being addressed particularly to the controllingmechanism.

The object of the invention is to generally improve devices of thistype, simplifying their construction and operation; and it consists inmechanism such as is hereinafter described and illustrated in thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail plan view of the preferred formof binder showing the side plates as drawn together; Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal sectio-n of the same; Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 1,the binder being expanded; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of one ofthe controlling levers illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The binder, as shown, comprises a pair of side plates 15, 16, havingupstanding flanges 17, 18, in which the telescoping tiling posts 19, 20,are set and between which the sheets to be bound are clamped when thebinder is compressed. Lugs 21, 22, formed on the outer faces of theplates 15, 16, carry pivot rods 28, 24, to which the sides or coverplates (not shown) of the binder may be attached.

A back plate 25 overlaps the lower edges of the plates 15, 16, andcarries the controlling mechanism. The back plate is provided withupstanding end flanges 26, 27, the ends of which overlap end flanges 28,29, of the side plates for closing the top and bottom of the binder.

The controlling mechanism comprises a plurality of levers pivoted uponthe back plate and slidingly engaging pins carried by the side plates,and a screw-rod journaled in suitable bearings disposed along the medianline of the back plate and carrying one or more nuts having a camengaged with the levers.

In the preferred form of construction there are present two pairs oflevers, designated, respectively, 30, 31, 32 and 53, and pivoted, asshown, respectively, at 34, 35, 86 and 37, to bosses 38, 39, rising fromthe back plate 25 adjacent its longitlulinal center, and plates 40, 41,secured to the bosses by the screws which forni the pivots oi thelevers. rl`he controlling levers oiE cach pair project toward the endsof the binder, and each is provided with a curved slot 42 adjacent itsend for receiving a pin 43 set-ting through a slotted boss 44 formed inthe inner wall of the side plate, the lever being housed within the slotof the boss. 'lhe connection of the several levers to the side platesheilig alike, but one of them is described.

Each of the levers, as more plainly shown in Fig. 4, is provided with alateral extension 45, which projects across the longitudinal median lineof the binder and is provided with a cam slot 46, which is obliquethereto. The lateral extensions 45 of the two levers forming a pairoverlap, their cam slots 46, 48, intersecting, as more plainly shown inFigs. 1 and 3.

The actuating screw-rod 49 is journaled in bosses, as 50, rising fromthe back plaie 25 adjacent its ends and carrying cap plates 51, 52,secured thereto by screws. A collar 53, iXed upon the rod 49, liesbetween the bosses 38, 39, whereby the rod is held against longitudinalmovement. This rod is provided with right and left screw-threads 54, 55,located, respectively, at opposite sides of the bosses 38, 89, and uponthese threaded portions there run a pair oit nuts 56, 57, each of whichcarries an upstanding stud 58, 59, engaging the cam slots 46, 48, of thetwo pairs of controlling levers. As each of these studs passes throughthe cam slots at the points at which they intersect, they are therebyheld against rotative movement relatively as to the rod 49, and hence asthe rod is turned by means of a key (not shown) applied to its squaredend 60, the nuts 56, 57, travellongitndinally as to the rod and inopposite directions, the studs necessarily traveling along the cam slotsof the levers, the latter are thus caused to swing about their pivots,thereby moving the side plates of the binder toward or away from eachother. The end plate 26 is apertured, as indicated at (3l, to provideaccessv to the squared end of the screw-rod.

I claim as my invention4 l. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, aback plate, a side plate movable laterally, an actuating rod mountedlongitudinally on the back plate, a lever pivoted to one of such membersand engaging the other' and having a cam slot extending obliquely acrossthe actuating rod, and a stud engaging the slot and mounted in line withand movable by the rod.

2. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a baal; plate, a pair of sideplates movable laterally, a pair of levers pivoted to the back plate andeach engaging one of the side plates, the two levers having overlappinglateral extensions with intersecting cam slots, a controlling rodmounted on the back plate, a stud engaging the cam slots of the twolevers and movable longitudinally of the back plate by means of the rod.

3. In a' loose leaf binder, in combination,

a back plate, a threaded rod journaled thereon, a laterally-movable sideplate, a lever pivoted to the back plate and engaging the side plate andhaving a cam slot extending obliquely across the rod, a nut running onthe rod and carrying a stud engaging the cam slot. Y

t. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a back plate, a threaded rodjournaled thereon, a pair of laterally movable side plates, a pair oflevers pivoted to the back plate and each engaging one of the sideplates, such levers having overlapping portions with intersecting camslots, a nut running on the rod, and a stud carried by the nut andengaging the two cam slots.

5. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a back plate, a rod journaledthereon and having oppositely inclined threads adjacent its ends, a pairof laterally movable side plates, two pairs of levers pivoted to theback plate and extending, respectively, toward the ends of the sideplates and being engaged therewith, the members of each pair havingoverlapping portions provided with intersecting cam slots, and nutsrunning on the threaded portion of the rod and each carrying a studengaging the cam slots of the contiguous levers.

JAMES C. DMWSON.

lVitnesses F. lV. RISQUE, lV. S. OLIVER.

